When it comes to picking the perfect condiment, many have chosen their side since childhood. Whether it was party pies or sausage rolls, your sauce choice often stuck through to adulthood. MasterFoods has been the go-to for saucy goodness since 1945.
Now, new research has revealed that the sauce you pick says more about your personality than you think. That divide is spilling into everyday life, from dating to dinner tables. No food is left un-sauced—even the humble sausage sizzle isn’t safe.
What Your Sauce Says About You
Tomato Sauce: The Reliable Classic
Every Aussie knows that the go-to sauce for classics like meat pies and frankfurts is tomato sauce. 69 per cent of Aussies say it is the most classic and reliable option. According to the research, 49 per cent would trust a “Tomato personality” to dress them for an important event. Nearly half the nation (48 per cent) would still choose Tomato for long-term relationships vs 20 per cent for Barbecue. In short, Tomato is the kind of friend you trust with your life, the kind of person who would share their umbrella even if they got wet.
BBQ Sauce: The Adventurous Wildcard
The tangy and smoky BBQ sauce is seen as adventurous by 41 per cent, creative and edgy by 39 per cent, and nearly half of Australians (48 per cent) say it adds something different. 50 per cent say a “Barbecue personality” brings more to the vibe at a dinner party versus 26 per cent for Tomato personalities. 47 per cent believe Barbecue types are more likely to take things to the next level on a night out. But Barbecue’s edge comes with risk: 35 per cent say they’d be more likely to ghost a BBQ personality, and this jumps to 49 per cent among Gen Z. Barbecue is who you go to on a big night out when you are looking to create spontaneous memories.
The Great Divide Across Australia
The research, commissioned by MasterFoods, proves that the sauce we choose extends directly to our personal behavior. Queenslanders are bringing the most Barbecue energy, leading the shift at sausage sizzles. Victorians remain firmly Tomato-coded, favouring tradition and reliability. South Australians are the most experimental, more likely to swap Barbecue onto classic foods.
“As a lifelong foodie and fan of our iconic brands, it has always been clear just how much Aussies read into their friend’s and their own food choices,” said Davina Takiari, Portfolio Marketing Manager at MasterFoods. “Those divisions only get stronger when it comes to classics like their favourite sauces.”
“We see the MasterFoods Barbecue Sauce vs. MasterFoods Tomato Sauce debate play out at sports fields, local community barbecues, dinner tables and shopping aisles across the country,” Takiari added. “By commissioning this research, we wanted to give this discussion a national platform – so every Aussie can ask themselves whether they are giving Barbecue Energy, or if they are more Tomato-coded.”
So what energy are you giving? The safe bet or the higher risk with more reward? It is clear that Aussies love their condiments and what we choose to put on top of our most loved foods says more about our personalities than we think.
